what once was mine
by slowbeats
Summary: She is not her mother and he is not his father. (The ripples of time, be it past or future, can be quite cruel.)


Lucina hears the news through the inn she is resting at, the occupants celebrating the new royal wedded couple joyously, the Exalt and his Queen.

 _It can't be true._ She hopes it isn't true but it is once she confirms the fact.

Her father marries and it is not to her mother.

* * *

Lucina wanders and wanders, no destination in sight. She is never far from where her home is, worrying about her father's safety.

She tries not to think of her father with a woman, who he should not have chosen to marry, in his arms and the thought of her brother finding out will be heartbreaking.

She focuses on her mission instead and tries to discard the stab of betrayal inside her chest.

* * *

Lucina saves her father but makes a mistake. The future princess has no choice but to tell him she is his daughter from the future (is this really the past from her time?) and shows him the brand on her right eye.

She cannot control the tears flowing from her eyes and almost looses her composure as her father hugs her close to comfort her.

( _This not father,_ her mind whispers. He is married to someone else.)

His queen mistakes her for another woman in his life ( _no, it's you,_ the child in her accuses) but he corrects her.

 _This is our daughter_ , he says, before she can interject.

("I am not **hers**.")

Father convinces his queen that Lucina came from the future, that she is their daughter (not hers!), she bears the mark of the royal family and there is only one falcion that exists, wielded by those who the sword selects with the exalted blood running in their veins.

His queen looks at her right eye and sees the brand, Lucina knows that her own daughter has the same mark, in the same place. She smiles at her presumed daughter and greets her warmly.

Tell them, tell them, she urges herself but she could not bring herself to say anything.

She can't speak.

She knows who her mother is and this woman who stands before her is not the one.

Lucina acknowledges her stiffly by her title. She doesn't call her mother, ignores the hurt in the other woman's eyes and her father's frown and leaves with her grief flaring to life.

* * *

They think the queen died first, hence why Lucina keeps her distant because she doesn't know her "mother" fully well. She is too much like Chrom's that they can never tell she is not the queen's (that title should have belonged to her mother, not this woman) future child. Lucina scoffs at the misunderstanding of the cause of her anguish.

(She doesn't want to make things awkward even though she knows she should have told them sooner, but she is not sure how to talk to them about it.)

((This is not her world.))

The queen tries to reach out to her, to have a mother-daughter bonding. Lucina should have taken her hand and say the words that should be said.

Instead, she avoids her and her attempts.

They will know what is wrong when they meet her brother.

* * *

Her fellow future companions never told the adults the reasons why. They keep a tight lid on and not one adult can pry anything pertaining Lucina and her avoidance, not one word. They respect her too much to go and spill the beans.

Even Owain does not say anything about it but he almost understands her when his mother nearly develops feelings for another man.

(Priam had been late to show up, except he does show up and it is a relief that Lady Lissa still ends up with him.)

* * *

They found Morgan.

He stares at father and he stares back.

* * *

The truth slaps them in the face in the form of a dark blue-haired boy with a charming smile.

"Lucina," _Inigo_ chokes, looks at mother and father. He sees.

"Brother," Lucina greets back, somberly.

The brand in his left eye (the opposite from her) reflects in return to those who look.

Now they know.

* * *

Morgan has his mother's hair and eye color, just as Lucina inherited her father's.

He is much like his mother, just as Lucina is much like her father's.

But he is much like his father as well and it bleeds out.

* * *

(They never look into the issue too deeply and never doubted.

Maybe, simply maybe, they were in denial.)

* * *

"I speculated I did not conceived you and I was proven right," It is the first thing Robin says to her, facing each other again. This time, Lucina does not avoid her.

"Forgive my rude distance, your highness," Lucina says heavily, apologetically, "I never intended to withhold the truth of the manner of our birth."

"It's fine," Robin waves her words away. She pauses. "I'm still struggling at the fact that you, Inigo and Morgan have a different parent." It is a struggle, not just for the tactician but for those who are involved too. Lucina never stops feeling the same.

She wants to say something, she doesn't miss the slight tone of hurt in Robin's voice.

She doesn't. Not when this is her fault.

(This isn't her fault, not really no, it's not her fault she unintentionally took father away from mother. She should not be blamed.

Sometimes, Lucina does.)

* * *

 _Robin took father away in the future to be killed, to die and now she has stole him away in the present._

* * *

Naga warned them, didn't she? They listened and chose to accept the consequences, for the sake of a better future.

Often, Lucina wondered if this is the punishment for leading the second generation to the past, away from their terrible world, against the whims of time...

For failing to save aunt Emmeryn from her doom.

* * *

Morgan knew that _he_ isn't his father at all. He has no memories of what happened to him, his past, nor his father. He only has memories of mother. But he knows instinctively Chrom is not the father he adores.

But what can he say to the man who is happy to know him? He does not want to crush his feelings.

He can't speak.

(By the time Inigo joins, Morgan is not surprise from the revelation.)

* * *

She remembers her mother's courage, her bravery to face the risens invading their home, their comfort with just her garb and a simple sword to protect her children.

Olivia shined as a Queen of the Halidom, Chrom taught her to be brave, more courageous, she taught him how to be more patient, less rash. They taught each other many things (including what goes on in the private chambers, of course), Lucina had been taught to be brave, she has been forced to as the mantle of Exalt fell into her shoulders and the many eyes that look at her with hope.

( _She wanted to refuse, she wanted to cry out, she didn't want the burden._

 _But Lucina wanted to be more like her father, like her mother. Protect her home and her little brother._ )

The young princess had been shy back then, not many knew because it wasn't obvious.

Young Lucina wanted to play swords with her father, to learn dancing with her mother and play with her little brother more than she wanted to interact with other people, but mother could tell and held her tiny hands with her own big ones and told her the meaning of bravery, of courage, of patience, of acceptance. Of love.

So how can she accept Robin as "mother" when the memories of her real own are stronger, and far more precious?

(But Lucina of the present and the Lucina who came from the future are different.)

(Her world is gone.)

She drowns in the memories of Chrom and Olivia and their time together as a couple, loving each other with their children, that now only two people remembers and holds close to their heart.

* * *

It was awkward for them to interact. Lucina kept calling Olivia _mother_ and Inigo kept called Chrom _father._ It wouldn't have been bad and it was nice to hear it.

Except they are married to another person.

That didn't bother the Exalt (kind of) from striking a friendship with the shy dancer. They are still comrades, no matter what the situation they are in. (If only she stopped running away.)

Olivia is frightened and so shy Chrom wonders how his other self fell in love with her and chose to marry her so quickly.

They talk and they talk (once she stopped running every time he tries to hold a conversation with her), slowly she opens up and smiles so beautifully he stops breathing.

Chrom shakes it off, scolding himself for having such thoughts.

Robin is just as beautiful as Olivia is, he can't think of another woman being so breathtaking.

He loves Robin in his own way, he is not the Chrom who picked someone else.

(Sometimes, he wonders, laying down next to his sleeping wife— _dreaming of a dancing pink-haired woman with a beautiful smile, a gentle laugh, cheeks adorably painted in pink, her hands clutching his and his hands clutching back as they danced—_

if he regretted his choice.)

After he wakes up, Chrom holds his wife close to him and feels the guilt.

Robin holds him back and for some reason, it felt like she understood.

* * *

 **author's notes:**

(posted on ao3, as well. search slyphole.)

unbeta'd. excuse this poor writing lol.

this is my first and last chrobin fic I'll write even though this is more of lucina.

who on earth is his father, one might ask. the answer is up to you. (i pick henry in mind.)

the fic would have improved better if i was good writer but im a novice so you're stuck with this. lol. the ending is so jerky, argh! might edit this someday, might not.


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